Three heroic schoolboys kicked down the door of a burning house in a bid to rescue a man from a suspected arson attack.

Dominic Field, 14, Jordan Doherty, 15, and Jake Hanson, 16, were walking to school along Belthorne Avenue, Blackley, when they spotted smoke billowing from the property and the 50-year-old man living there, Mark Hyde, trapped upstairs banging on a window.

Jordan, a year 11 pupil at St Matthew’s RC High School in Moston, said: “We noticed there were flames coming past the kitchen window and we started panicking.

“We saw there was a window open so we shouted: ‘Is anyone in there?’ A man popped his head out of the window and said could we try and get the door open.

“He kept coming to the window and going back in. He was coughing a lot.”

Jake, also in year 11, added: “His face was black with the smoke. He didn’t look very well. He couldn’t get any air because all the smoke was coming from the window below.”

Jordan managed to kick the door down while Jake called 999, but the fire was so intense they were forced to abandon their rescue attempt.

Dominic, in year 10, said: “Loads of smoke came out at us and we couldn’t get to the door - and he couldn’t get down.”

Jake added: “Even the windows were smashing because of the flames.”

Firefighters were on the scene within minutes and had to smash the bedroom window to get Mark to safety.

He suffered burns and smoke inhalation and was rushed to North Manchester General Hospital, where he remains in intensive care in a serious but stable condition.

The boys continued on their way to school as normal and it was only when residents of the street called teachers to praise them that word got out about their bravery.

Jordan said: “Everyone keeps saying we’re heroes.”

Jake added: “I think what we did was right.”

Assistant headteacher Lucy Dooley said they had become the talk of the school.

She said: “We’re all really proud of them - their quick thinking and reactions have potentially given the man the best chance of survival.

“We’re also very glad that they are safe and that they made the right choice in terms of not going inside and leaving it to the fire service.”

Neighbours described how Mark was ‘like a rag doll’ as firefighters pulled him to safety.

One man, who asked not to be named, said: “We saw a lot of smoke and there was a pungent smell like burning plastic.

“I came to the corner and saw a ladder up against the front window. They were passing him out of the window. He looked like a rag doll.”

Fire investigation officers and police forensics team combed the scene along with a dog unit after the incident at about 8.10am yesterday.

A 26-year-old man has been arrested and is being questioned on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

Detective Sergeant Alex Wild said: “The fire service responded quickly and were able to get the man out of the building and in to hospital where he remains in a stable condition.

“We have now launched an investigation into the cause of the fire and would ask anyone with information about it or anyone who witnessed anything unusual around the property to contact police.”

Anyone with information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.